14 August, 2014

MY ARGUMENTS FOR NO / LITTLE / TIME LIMITED TOLL

a. Road is a far greater necessity for urban life and
impacts many a life. It deserves to be free more than most after health. If
this trend is not checked, tomorrow hospitals, government schools and water
supply will all be similarly outsourced and charged heftily.

b. In the quest of toll collection even workable and functional roads are
converted into "beautiful" roads
rendering an obviously free utility into a paid one

c. Often express-ways / flyovers etc built by BUILT
lobbyists wreak havoc with life pattern and access of those living there.
Expressway for instance divides villages into two unconnected zones [separating
animals from their lake, brother from brother, farmers from their farms,
children from schools et al]. Flyovers destroy the economy of those they fly
over. But the lobbyists manage to bulldoze their way silencing those affected.
Inherently these facilities - welcome as they are otherwise - benefit the
richer people at the cost of the poorer ones

d. Toll agreements are cunningly crafted so as to
provide extensions and loopholes for perpetuating the collection. We can see
rampant examples

e. Now, TICKETS. I have provided some examples.
Many more can be cited. Gradually free public gardens and entertainment zones
are evaporating in the name of 'big fun' - of course attracting tickets. Sadly,
since the middle class can pay for these the voice of the poor is not heard

These arguments can also bear resonance to the
issue of land acquisition for industrial purposes and for building economic
corridors and special promotion zones. The Gandhians of Gujarat are arguing
precisely against these for similar reasons.

I guess both sides can argue depending whose case
they are arguing. And both types of arguments might sound as valid.